A Dhampyr Named Bella
by vanilfrappe
Summary: Edward, one of the highest ranking vampire's in Eygpt, is sent to get rid of an unwanted Child of the Night. What he finds is a beautiful immortal child with the most tantalizing blood he's ever tasted! He'll make her his, for eternity... Slightly dark
1. Indecision

_Disclaimer: All twilight stuff belongs to Stephanie Meyer, a genius! May she continue to write and make me insanely happy..._

_Author: I got the idea for this story while watching THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, oddly enough. Then my Architecture History class started studying pyramids, and before you know it I have an itch to write! Do enjoy..._

* * *

**A Dhampyr Named Bella**

**Chapter 1: Indecision**

* * *

_1972 BCE_

_Twelfth Dynasty_

_Lower Egypt_

_Remote Village along the Red Sea_

* * *

It was all rather _disgusting_.

Rehuerdjersen, or Rehuer as he preferred to be called, breathed in deeply again the air around him, merely out of habit. The unwanted smells assaulted him just as much as the more alluring ones.

The smell of the soaked clay banks of the Red Sea hit him first, then the smell of the rotting papyrus that littered the banks. The scent traveled over great hills of scalding hot sand. Next, the musk of oily wool from the goats and sheep being tended to on the other side of the village.

Lastly, he smelt the rather appealing collection of 30 or so blood filled bodies.

Opening his blood-red eyes, Rehuer gazed at his potential prey standing right in front of him. The little villagers clustered all around--some of them speaking all at once to him, while others stood quietly in awe as they gazed at him.

Rehuer with his mind-reading ability had no choice but to listen to the insignificant thoughts in their heads. Their thoughts buzzing around in his skull ranged from sickeningly idolizing, to sickeningly naïve. However, none of their awed thoughts were worth his attention, so he tried to tune them out. He somewhat succeeded. In light of the situation, he couldn't blame them for their awe. It wasn't everyday an immortal priest of the Pharoah came to visit such an insignificant place. They were both honored and frightened by that fact, which made their blood all the more sweeter for him to smell.

They took in his appearance, his attractively tall build, his angular jaw set in a constant scowl of importance, his bronze unruly hair. They lusted after his expensive priestly clothes, but were too afraid to actually approach and touch due to his glowing red eyes—the humans were naturally drawn to his alluring aura. Of course, their natural instincts also warned them of his dangerous nature hidden beneath his desirable façade, and they kept what they deemed a safe distance from him.

No distance was safe enough.

Rehuer himself was seething inside at the fact of his being here. Treasurer and High Steward of the nation, Rehuer felt the task of coming here to this gods-forsaken part of Lower Egypt was utterly beneath his stature and responsibility.

If a list were to be made, Rehuer would rank as the 3rd most important man in the nation. The man who held the top position was technically the Pharoah. However, the man who held true power, yet kept the humble appearance of second in command, was Rehuer's creator and master. He was an immortal, who had chosen to share that endless life with Rehuer, not the Pharoah.

Instead, Rehuer and his master saw to it the Pharoah did as he was told.

Sometimes Rehuer wondered why the two of them bothered letting the human pharaoh rule in name at all. However, the decision was not his to make. His maker called the shots in this era, and Rehuer was happy to let him take the responsibility of running the nation of Egypt.

But right at the moment, Rehuer was cursing his master's latest order. It had involved calling Rehuer late at night to his master's chamber, where he informed Rehuer that he was to deal with a grave dilemma that had brewed in Lower Egypt. Somehow, and his maker wasn't sure who had done such a thing, but a child had been turned into an immortal.

A _Child of the Night_, loose in Lower Egypt...

Rehuer had felt a chill go down his spine.

He understood the repercussions of creating a child immortal could be catastrophic. However, he hadn't expected his master to hand the degrading job of getting rid of the wretched creature over to him!

He'd protested, naturally.

His master had replied that the situation was delicate, and only another immortal—meaning Rehuer, his creation—would do.

So here he was. Standing in the sun, his skin glinting at his exposed hands and sandaled feet beneath his priestly robes. The villagers _oohed_ and _awed_ over his glittering skin, having heard about the immortal priests god-given skin, but having never seen it for themselves.

Currently, Rehuer was doing his best to ignore their gawking, giving his unnerving attention to the village leader, who was explaining the situation to Rehuer with elaborate hand motions and a tooth-gaped mouth. His thought process was so agonizingly slow Rehuer wanted to growl in agitation, but he listened to the old man ramble.

"--My daughter, Perhia, was attacked in the desert, a month ago, by a creature. She could not remember anything, but woke up bloody and in pain. The creature was nowhere in sight, and her flock was gone too! She came home, and was punished for losing such a valuable asset of our people, and for being dishonored as she was! Her shame was even more confounded when we realized she was pregnant from the experience!"

The old man's eyes glazed over in remembered rage. "The rate at which she grew from then on was unnatural! Within a month, just last week, the baby was fully carried inside her. My daughter was herself like a walking corpse, though. She couldn't eat, barely breathe! She confided to her mother she felt like the baby was eating her soul from inside her womb!--

--The baby was born soon after that. A girl! All that trouble, for a mewling little whelp of a thing. No doubt it was a child sired by a dinjii! We wrapped it in layers of flax and left it in the wilderness, to die!"

The village leader spat on the ground, making a sign against evil spirits in the air. The rest of the villagers all parroted him, voicing their agreement in hatred of the abandoned baby.

Rehuer resisted the urge to strangle the innocent humans. Their mucus being spat so close to his priestly robes was insulting. Instead, he decided it was far better for the man to speak than to be unoccupied in silence. "What happened to the baby's mother?" Rehuer inquired, hardly caring but curious.

The village leader for once, didn't speak. His weathered face became hard. Apparently he still had some room for grief over his dead, dishonored daughter.

The village leader's wife, seeing his stubborn jaw, quickly answered the question so Rehuer wouldn't become angered. "She died in childbirth, great lord. The baby monster--" She paused, stealing her features. "—The baby ate its way out of her stomach. Actually, it would be better to say it burst out of her stomach. Its little fingers pushed her mother's ribs outward like it was a door into our world." She quit speaking, tears forming in her wrinkled eyes as she remembered.

Even though the monster in him enjoyed the bloody images, at her pause Rehuer felt impatience brew in him. "And then?!" He bit out.

She winced at his deadly tone. "Then, the baby slithered its way from the gaping hole in her stomach up her blood soaked chest. It settled around her neck like a loving child and sunk its teeth into her pulse. And gulped at her blood as she died."

The tale, delivered so stoically, elicited a reaction from the villagers. The women began to chant and shake their heads in mourning. Some dropped to their knees, bent to throw sand into their hair.

Rehuer rolled his eyes. If they were going to start wailing like the crazy women he'd seen outside his temple, he would kill them all.

His master would not tolerate such behavior, however. Perhaps, it would be better for him to leave.

"Where is the babe now, do you know?" He inquired, hoping they would so he wouldn't have to spend a precious day hunting the despicable thing down.

The leader once again found it in him to speak. "Yes, great lord. We have a watchman at all times guarding the entrance to the valley we left it in, making sure it doesn't try to come back to our village."

Rehuer nodded his chin, jaw tense. "What can you tell me about this creature? It is still alive, yes? How is it faring on its own?"

The leader shrugged. "The men do not get too close; they watch it from the valley's edge, several hundred feet away. However, they tell me in their reports she hasn't moved from where we've left her. Barely moves at all, but from that we know she's alive, despite the fact she's eaten nothing." The leader swallowed, hesitating, before continuing in a whisper. "They tell me she is no longer a babe either. My men—they say they think she has grown into a child of 3 years within a week. They are wondering if this will continue…" The man trailed off, watching Rehuer worriedly.

Despite his outward appearance of mere annoyance, inside his head Rehuer was perplexed at what he was hearing.

This tale didn't match his knowledge of a _Child of the Night_. Such children were turned into immortals by being bitten by another immortal. They had no control over their thirst, and it was insatiable. A child immortal also inspired absolute trust and devotion in all who looked on them. Fearsome little things to be sure, but understandable and predictable in nature to Rehuer.

But the baby immortal the village leader was describing, one that was born from a human womb, sounded much more peculiar!

He wouldn't think the baby they described _could_ be an immortal, except the blood drinking it had displayed on its mother afterward seemed to verify it.

Could this truly be a more terrifying form of an immortal than had ever been seen before? Or, had his maker just conveniently forgotten to tell Rehuer about other forms of immortality?

But, an immortal born as a babe? That grew?

It sounded too fantastical to Rehuer. Too convenient. That was not how the process of becoming an immortal worked.

So, Rehuer silently came to the conclusion that the village people must have dreamed up the tale, elaborated on the real facts to create a sort of meaningful existence in their mortal lives. These people were stupid; it wasn't really surprising their thoughts could believe in the lie so eagerly they forgot the truth in their memories.

No, this wretched baby they spoke of had to be a _Child of the Night_. Nothing more…

Even if it was something other, Rehuer knew he couldn't just return home--he'd still have to get rid of the child immortal to please his master.

But first, to satisfy the thirst in his throat that he had diligently been ignoring since his arrival here…

"I need one of you to escort me to the valley," he informed the villagers, turning to pin each of them with a raptor red gaze. They trembled or shuffled their feet as his serious eyes assessed them, critically.

His eyes landing on one young boy who met his gaze innocently. Rehuer suddenly appeared in front of the boy, lifting his chin under his sparkling fingertips. Rehuer ran his finger down the pulse in the boy's jaw, that was beating wildly in awe at being touched by a priest of the gods.

The boy's scent was by far the best the village had to offer.

Rehuer grinned, his smile one of a predator. The boy would do nicely as payment for his services. "This boy is to lead me to the valley entrance," he informed the village leader. His tone left no room for argument, by anybody.

None gave it, although the boy's mother began to wail softly. Her family shuffled her away before she could embarrass them in front of the Pharoah's blessed one.

* * *

A mere hour later, Rehuer arrived at the entrance to the valley. _Alone_. The boy had served his purpose well the minute they'd left the village. He felt fully sated, the boy's blood sloshing around in his stomach.

Rehuer casually noted the presence of the watchman the village leader had mentioned, who scurried about along the surrounding hill's edge. Listening to the man's thoughts, Rehuer was amused to hear that the man thought Rehuer couldn't see him watching from afar. Rehuer almost thought it a shame he wasn't hungry enough to be bothered with the man. Although it would be amusing to suddenly turn and run straight at the watchman…

But at the moment, Rehuer couldn't. He had an immortal abomination to get rid of. Then, he could make his way home to the capital in time for the Pharoah's breakfast the next day. He comforted himself in the knowledge soon he would recline in sandalwood carved couches, be fanned by gentle slaves, and be serenaded by the finest harp musicians.

As an immortal, he felt a life of leisure and higher culture was not too much to ask for.

Instead, here he was, walking through a valley of hot sand, dried up shrubs, and sharp stones. Lizard's slithered under rocks, and birds of prey floated overhead.

He scowled, kicking at a stone sharply and sending it spinning toward the hill's edge.

The watchman didn't even have a moment to scream. The sharp stone imbedded itself between his eyes, knocking him back. Rehuer listened to the impaled watchman's shocked thoughts as he plummented down the hill, his thoughts finally snuffing out as he landed with a thud.

Finally, Rehuer was alone. Not a single human or immortal thought filled his mind.

It wasn't something that happened often. Rehuer breathed in deeply, enjoying the silence.

Before realizing it _wasn't_ a good thing he couldn't hear anybody.

If he couldn't hear the _Child of the Night_, it meant she wasn't around here.

Growling in frustration at his job becoming harder, Rehuer clambered up the side of the large rock outcropping and knelt on top. He had a good view of the valley from this point. Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply.

Apart from the obvious scents of nature, he caught...something else.

Faintly, something spicy. And **wet**.

He wrinkled his nose. Blood? It smelled like the consistency. But, the spice was different from anything he had ever tasted. it was pungent, and elusive...

He leapt off the rock, heels landing without noise into the hard ground. He took off in a run, following the scent, which became stronger and stronger as he began to catch up.

After about a mile, the scent became so intense Rehuer found himself gulping in the air to feel the flavor on his tongue.

_Who's blood is that?!_

It no longer mattered that he had slaked his fill on the village boy, for with that smell he was once again ravenous! For indeed, there was no doubt it was blood he was now hunting. Whoever's it was, their blood would be his soon!

The wind shifted, carrying from the south. And with it, a thick blast of his prey. He knew without a doubt where his prey was now. Just on the other side of the mountain of rock to his right.

Closing in on the kill with satisfaction, Rehuer went into a run, gaining momentum before leaping over the small bouldered hill. He landed on all fours without making much of a sound at his impact. Rehuer lifted his head, knowing he'd see his prey when he looked up.

To his confusion, a human did not stand before him.

Instead, he saw a wild dog--rather large for what Rehuer was used to seeing--curled up in warm sand, snoozing. The dog didn't wake, having not realized an immortal's presence yet.

Rehuer was beyond perplexed. He could smell something intoxicating, and all his senses _screamed_ that the blood was right in front of him! He truly doubted the incredible smell could be coming from animal before him. Animal blood was akin to what the humans referred to as eating dirt.

The monster inside of him didn't like being kept waiting for this appetizing scent. _**Find it!**_

Rehuer silently cast his glance around him, looking for any signs of a human's presence hiding amongst the rocks. His keen vision could spot and hear every movement of the bugs and creatures moving above and below the ground.

So he did not doubt his senses when he assessed that no one else was around.

Frustrated, Rehuer swallowed his growl of rage and took a step toward the sleeping dog. Perhaps taking his anger out on the helpless creature would be satisfying…

The dog shifted in his sleep, his thick fur shifting in the breeze. As he moved, something glinted like the sparkling of precious stones from amongst his fur around his feet.

Rehuer froze, his eyes widening. He recodnized the peculiar glint. He looked down at his own hand. The Egyptian sun sent off the same sparkle across his straining knuckles.

In disbelief, Rehuer carefully moved around to the other side of the dog, and he could only stare at what he found.

The cur's large back had been shielding the body of a small girl. She was curled up against the dog's back, in a feral position, her cheek pressed against the dog's thick fur. Most of her body was shaded from the sun by the wolf's form, but the arm that had made its way under the dog's curled legs was casting flares of bright light around the ravine, giving her away.

Rehuer wanted to chuckle at how easy it was. Without a doubt, he'd found the elusive _Child of the Night_. He was surprised, since he hadn't known she was there until now.

He wondered why she hid her face from him. Out of fright? Or was she pretending to sleep? The trick would not save her. He chuckled lightly, sadistically amused. Did she truly think he was _that_ stupid?

He focused his keen attention toward her mind, curious as to what thoughts were flashing around inside her little, soon-to-be-extinct, head. He assumed he'd hear childish musings of fear, of silly plots of escape, of how hungry she was for a little bloody play...or at the very least, what she thought of his silently watching from behind her, for any immortal would instantly be aware of another…

What he heard was absolute silence.

His brow drew in over inflamed red eyes. He was not in the mood to be perplexed, not when some human's _delicious_ scent still called to him from somewhere nearby.

His instincts wanted him to wrap this up with _her_ as soon as possible so he could hunt after **that **scent. _It was so close_…

But...

He was _insanely_ curious as to why his gift wasn't working with her! He should hear _something_, he thought desperately. His hearing of people's thoughts had never failed him before, and Rehuer didn't like knowing he potentially had a weakness.

He shifted towards the little immortal child, a moment away from snatching her up. Perhaps if he ripped her arm off her screaming thoughts would awaken inside his mind…

Before he could do just that, the immortal child rolled over, pressing her back against the cur's warmth. Her arm stretched out across the sand, her head rolling into the crook of her elbow. Her eyes never opened as she stifled a low yawn, her lips murmuring something unintelligible.

She brought her little legs up until her knees pressed into her chest, a comforting position. The movement sent her scent wafting toward him.

Rehuer could only groan as the force of it hit him like a battering ram. His nostrils flared, recodnizing the spicy scent of blood that had sent him into the hunt without a care to the fact he'd just eaten or not.

Never had he smelt something so…perfect! It was a smell that the god's would wage war for, more purer than any incense the priests could burn in their honor.

The little immortal child's blood was also more appealing than any sacrifice that could or ever would be brought to Rehuer for his meals at the temple.

Indeed, he wondered if he would be able to stomach any other's blood after he drank this girl's.

The monster was ravenous, wanting nothing more than to leap on the sleeping girl's jugular instantly and without the usual niceties. Nothing would get in the way of his drinking her dry…

So, _why was he just croutching there, trembling from hunger?!_

He knew why. It was because his own nature couldn't stand to be wrong or mistaken on anything! And there were several things he did not know how to register in this situation…

One, he couldn't read her mind.

He didn't like that fact at all. Even though she wouldn't be alive long enough for that fact to be very relevant, he didn't care. Her act of defying him even with her mind was something he could not take.

Two, she did appear to really be sleeping. Immortals did not sleep, and the fact she could filled Rehuer with insane jealousy.

He'd prefer to believe she was only a really good actress. But that was unqualified given what his senses told him. Her blood pumped sluggishly in her veins, a sound that signified a resting body not having to work its usual movements. Her breathing and mannerisms seemed to suggest an unawareness to his dangerous presence. At the least, her body would be tensed to run at his slightest movement if she were aware and only feinging sleep. Acting asleep wasn't a very good ploy to use in her case anyway.

Three, there was the fact of her blood itself.

Rehuer found it hard to think rationally about her blood when the monster was so intent on drinking it, but he barely managed. An immortal, even a child of the night, should not have delicious blood running through her veins. It was against the rules of nature, of how immortal's worked.

Yet his eyes did not betray him. Nor his hearing, nor his smell…and--he prayed to the gods--nor his taste-buds…

He really would give his soul to taste her blood. Just one taste, even, and it would be worth it!

**_Stop hesitating like an idiot!_** The monster growled at him. **_Just eat her…_**

Rehuer was torn; for the first time in his immortal life, his fast thinking brain could not decide what to do.

He wanted to rip the sleeping child's throat open and slurp from the spray of blood.

He wanted to touch her sleeping eyelids gently, in hopes of catching a fleeting thought of her dream.

He wanted to crush her ribs in his hands and drink the blood that she would cough up from her goblet-like mouth.

He wanted to wake her up so she would look at him with her eyes, so that maybe, just maybe he could read her inner thoughts in their depths.

Rehuer's fists clutched at his head. The indecision of the two sides of his nature was killing him! The monster that demanded he slake his fill on this delicious offering, was warring heavily with the side of him that was morbidly stubborn in its desire to slake its curiosity over this strange little creature.

She was not a _Child of the Night_, that much was obvious. It least, she wasn't the monster they knew about. She could be a hybrid of it, a part of him mused. Something new, and equally as dangerous.

His master would demand he kill it. To be cautious. It wasn't worth the risk to mankind to let the abnormal undead child sleeping before him live.

He knew he might as well drink from her then. This one had mouthwatering blood! Shame to waste her blood and let it soak into the desert sand.

His curious side was momentarily knocked aside. The monster, ravenous and gaining the upper hand, drove Rehuer to take the final steps to the little sleeping vampire child.

The dog lifted its eyes, alerted now to Rehuer's obvious movement. The cur jumped to his feet, his back fur bristling and his teeth displayed in feral growl. The creature placed one paw over the sleeping girl's form, as if protecting her.

Amused, Rehuer lifted his lips and showed the dog his own feral growl. It made the earth shake and the loose stones to dance across the ground.

The hound whimpered instantly, forgetting his bravado as instinct kicked in. Leaping back and taking off into the rocks, the dog ran as fast as it could to get away.

Rehuer chuckled at his retreat, then turned back to the matter at hand.

His eyes fell instantly into the wide-eyed black stare of the undead child.

Both startled to suddenly be seeing the other awake, they studied each other in turn.

_Impossibly wide eyes_, was Rehuer's first thought. _Disbelieving, confused_. His gaze moved to her features for a moment. The child—her apparent age looking to be about 5—had a beautiful seraphim worthy face for one so young. Her face was heart shaped, almost perfect if it weren't for strange little dimensions that looked like a great artist had done it on purpose, as if to proudly mark his work for all to see. Long chocolate brown hair, typical of southern Egyptians, hung to her waist.

It was filthy and knotted.

No surprise. The villagers claimed to have abandoned her as a baby. No one had combed her hair or taught her the art of some form of cleanliness. Nor had they provided the child any clothing.

Rehuer felt his lip turn up in a sneer as he looked her over. She was absolutely filthy! Dirt and mud all over, under her fingernails. He could hardly tell her skin was pale white under all that muck.

But no amount of dirt would hide the blue-ish veins prominent in her child's neck and wrist.

Nor would it disguise the suddenly rapidly beating heart of a terrified little girl.

Rehuer croutched down onto his ankles just before her, moving his gaze back to her obsidian wide eyes now level with his. He had to frown at their color, the deep black of an insanely hungry vampire. He was sure they matched his own about now…

Odd. Why had she not fed herself yet? Surely a child—a _Child of the Night_!—would have the sense and the lack of inhibition to hunt her first meal as soon as possible. Then again, if the villagers story was to be believed, this girl was not turned at 5.

She had been born from a human's womb. A baby, even an immortal one, would be helpless to hunt for itself. Perhaps, if that were the case, she had never learned that her natural thirst could be sated by biting a human?

Born only a month ago. And already 5 years old! Rehuer couldn't believe it. His frown deepend as he gazed into the terrified little girl's eyes. He noted she hadn't moved, seemingly paralyzed by the sight of him. Her little column like body didn't even sway in the breeze she stood so still and perfect.

Eyes narrowed, and insanely curious once again, Rehuer reached out an abrupt hand to her.

Her eyes widened even more, her heart beating incessitantly.

Rehuer nearly gaped at the beautiful sound. An immortal with a beating heart! Why?

**_To give us sustenance_**, the hungry monster in him growled. **_Squeeze her beating heart's juice onto your tongue, like a succulent pomegranate_!**

Rehuer licked his lips at the thought, his eyes nearly rolling back in his skull. But, instead his hand settled around the little girl immortal's thin dirty neck and pulled her closer.

She stepped forward without protest, and this pleased him immensely. He liked a willing meal. Now, if only she'd present him with her willing mind first, then they could proceed to the dining portion of Rehuer's needs. At this point he wouldn't be sated without both…

Rehuer's thumb stroked the throbbing pulse in her throat. It matched her heart beat perfectly. Ah, so it wasn't all an illusion! A steady stream of that mouthwatering blood was indeed running through this little vampire's body!

But her body…

Here Rehuer did pause to wonder. His thumb stroked across her collarbone, dragging at the dirt until her pale skin appeared clean. He was surprised at the velvety feel of her skin.

It felt just like his. Stone-like to human touch, impenetratable.

But to him, an immortal, it was like touching one of your own species, only beautifully warmer like a human from the blood. He could tear her beautiful skin, if he so choose. She could do the same to him, though.

However, would she repair as well as himself, Rehuer wondered. Was she more immortal creature in that regard or more human? Just how breakable was she?

**_Who cares_?** The monster grumbled. **_Eat her and go home_**.

**_NO_**, the curious, analytical side of him insisted. **_Keep her. Test her. Observe her_.**

**_Don't waste her_! **The monster growled.

**_Don't waste her_!** The analyctical side begged.

Rehuer wanted to rail in disgust at his internal self. Really, could be no longer make up his own mind?

The little immortal child blinked. Her eyes glanced down to Rehuer's arm, rising up it's length until she studied his big fingers spread on her own skin. Her brows puckered in around her eyes, as she contemplated some strange new thought.

Rehuer watched her keenly, like she was a fascinating little pet that had started to walk around for the first time. He wanted to know, what was she thinking now as she stared at his hand on her?

The little girl, so slowly he wasn't threatened in the least by her movement, lifted her own little hand up to her face, staring hard at her fingertips. Biting her little lip between her teeth, she suddenly reached out to Rehuer's chest.

He nearly recoiled—nearly flung her away from himself at the idea of a _Child of the Night _touching him of its own violation. But, instead of doing that, he stayed still.

Her little fingers caressed across the base of his neck, just as he was doing to her. His flesh tingled pleasantly at her touch.

Surprised, Rehuer let his fingers drift up her neck to her soft cheek.

She copied his movements, her little dirty nails sliding over his prominent cheek bones. He should have been disgusted by her dirty touch. Instead, the monster in him surprisingly wanted to purr at the contact.

Understanding the game they played, and delighting in the control he had over his new little pupil, Rehuer moved his hand across her body to the places he wanted to feel her touch, knowing she would copy without hesitation. Her fingertips were so warm in comparison to what he was used to, it was almost like being burned.

It was _glorious_.

He trailed his finger to her ear, tracing the rim caressingly.

The little girl wiggled her shoulders, her head tilting away from his touch and she giggled.

Rehuer froze at the transformation of her features.

Her little black eyes sparkled with a newfound warmth of child-like delight. Her lips were tilted in a shy smile from her giggle. Touching his ear as he'd done to her, she giggled again and aimed her angelic expression straight at him.

Rehuer was instantly captivated.

He was also instantly alarmed.

Rehuer sprung back suddenly, not stopping until he was abruptly standing several yards away. His face shown with his excitement, both from his hunger and his disgust with himself. He glared at the surprised little vampire child in front of him.

She'd let her hand fall back to her side, watching him intently. Her smile had dimmed, her expressive little eyes confused as to why he'd moved away. But she didn't chase after him. She stayed where she was.

Rehuer let loose a growl, running a tense hand through his hair. This wasn't good. He'd fallen captivated for the little immortal child. Just like his master had warned him.

He knew beyond a doubt he should definitely kill her, now that she'd shown how manipulative she could be with him. Her little seraphim expression of child-like innocence was drawing him in, controlling him easily. Rehuer would not be controlled! He could not afford to have weaknesses! He served no one but his own maker, and that relationship itself was based only on how well both could suit the others needs. If anything, Rehuer was the one who should be in control, not this little vulnerable child.

**_So own her_**, the analytical side pointed out, rationally.

Rehuer paused at the thought. That was unexpected.

The analytical side continued its idea. **_Keep her for a time. She's only a child. She cannot harm you, let alone control you. The child doesn't have an ounce of your knowledge or intelligence. How can she manipulate you? You, on the other hand, have all the tools you need to keep her under your rule_**.

Musing the odd suggestion, Rehuer wasn't sure whether he should like it or disregard it as insanity.

**_Do it_**, the monster goaded, sounding bored with the argument already. **_Keep her under your control. Keep all her blood for yourself, and don't let your maker get any of it!_**

_Ah_. Rehuer began to warm to the idea. If both of his wants, the two-sided coin of his personality, were happy with this arrangement, then perhaps it wasn't such a bad plan…

…as long as her blood was worth the trouble. Was she only good for one meal? Or would her blood filled immortal body be able to withstand _multiple_ feedings?

Rehuer began to pace around the girl, studying her from all angles. The little girl turned her head to follow him when she could, but did not bother moving her body.

The monster began to rear his hideous head. For his purpose, Rehuer let that side of him slide into control.

Rehuer moved to stand behind her in blur, staring down at her little child's head that barely came past his knees. He knelt, brushing her matted hair off the back of her neck. He pulled her back so her little body was between his bent knees, her warm back leaning into his chest.

He bent his head and pressed his nose at base of her neck. He dragged his lips up her thin skin, a rumble in his chest with delight as he smelt the delicious blood pumping through her body in that path. His nose and lips followed the trail to the curve in her neck, below her chin. Rehuer licked the velvety skin, instantly hating the dirty taste. But mollified with the thought of the elixir that rested beneath.

Rehuer placed his hands on either sides of her little sweet jaw and tilted her head the way he wanted. The little creature did not fight him. She followed his hands demands like a little doll.

She probably thinks this is another petting game we are playing, he mused. Rehuer smiled, lifting his lips to reveal his sharp teeth. How wrong she was.

He plunged his eager teeth into her vibrating pulse.

_Now_ she reacted. The little girl jerked in his hands, a whimper escaping her mouth. From pain no doubt. Her little legs began to scissor.

Rehuer dropped his hands from her chin and wrapped his strong arms around her little body, tightening until she was forced to lie still in his grasp. His teeth had a firm hold in her neck without his hands assistance. She could not move her head if she wanted to.

His doll fell still in defeat. But she continued to whimper.

A part of him might have felt some concern for her pain. But it was vastly overshadowed by the monster that reveled in the intoxicating scent of her blood dripping down her throat, and between his fangs.

One drop on his tongue, and he was in euphoria!

_Gulp_. Heaven!_ Gulp_. Ahhhhh…

_Gulp_. Rehuer saw stars in his mind, and explosions of color! _Gulp_.

Each mouthful brought him a higher sense of happiness! Is this what the men who smoked from their pipes in the temple felt when they entered the minds of the Gods? Or when they intoxicated themselves on honey wine?

For he _felt_ intoxicated. Nothing in the world mattered to him. It could cease to exist for all he cared, as long as he still could hold this child and _drink, _and_ drink, _and_ drink_…

She tasted unlike anything imaginable! More than spice, it kicked at his taste buds, curled and pooled around his tongue torturously, while at the same time like a soothing liquid.

In his mind, he tasted the image of red silks and golden bells adorning feet of the greatest pleasures in the world—then white sails unfolding around blue-green waters and salt-slicked skin…

The last image was so surrealistically beautiful he was sure he must have stepped into another world through her blood alone. Green earth, everywhere, covered in thick grass and flowers of dazzling colors he'd never seen before. Great domed mountains of white surrounded the haven, the sky flashing with deep thunder and dark raging clouds. Rehuer lay there utterly at home in the world, watching it all unfold lazily. In the dream, a warm body shifted in his arms. He looked down, at the woman stretched near his side—he felt an intense feeling of possession clench his mind when she looked at him. She was more beautiful than any woman he'd ever beheld, with thick wavy hair and golden eyes like topaz. She rested her hand against his sparkling chest gently, and leaned in to smile at him. "_Edward_," she breathed, her language foreign to him, and the sound of her voice alone was more beautiful than any sound in the world…

Enjoying the strange images and sensations enfolding in his subconscious, Rehuer fettered his tongue across the severed vein beneath his lips and gulped at _more_.

The amount that escaped was not as much as before. And it became less and less as time went on. Rehuer groaned in frustration when the images began to wilt with the last of her blood. He did not want to return to reality after what he'd just seen and tasted!

But before long, no amount of probing could find a drop of her delicious blood. He'd finally drained her dry.

Rehuer pulled his lips from her bloodied neck, glaring down at his prey. Her head hung limply against his white arm, her eyes open and glassy. She looked absolutely dead and soulless.

Her heart was glaringly silent.

In disgust and disappointment, Rehuer let her body fall to the ground. So, she was only good for one feeding. That fact saddened and frustrated him more than he wished it to. _All that blood…_

Rehuer moved away from her silent form, all the way to the other side where he leaned against the boulder's flat face. He ran his tongue across his teeth, closing his eyes as he recalled the euphoric journey her blood had taken him on.

It wasn't normally like that, when drinking one's blood. It least, Rehuer had never experienced a feeding like it. Perhaps his master had, he would have to ask. But never before had he lost a sense of consciousness or experienced an otherworldly feeling! He truly had felt transported…

And what's more, his inner awareness felt absolutely at peace! As if he'd been well rested and purged of some inner evil. In all his life as an immortal, Rehuer had never felt this…at one with his own soul.

He lifted his bloody fingers to his lips, wanting to taste her again. He now regretted drinking her all at once, wishing he'd of thought to take better care with her, now that he knew what he would be missing for the rest of his existence.

_How easily she was killed_, he mused, his brow fettering when he remembered that she had been an immortal. _Surely on of their own would not be so easily snuffed out, even if she was different_…

His gaze, a burning intense red from her blood, shifted over to her sprawled form. Perhaps, he wondered, she is not really dead…just drained…weak…_recovering_…

It was an insane hope. But one he grasped onto with all his being.

Rehuer decided to wait for a while--a day even--to see if she would recover. Then, he promised himself, if she did, he would keep her as his, taking better care so that delicious blood would be his for the taking for all time…

He sent a desperate plea to the God's that it would be so.

* * *

_**bnthridiot: **Well, hope it was entertaining!_

_And I hope you can guess who Rehuer is? And the immortal child? You all know I like my Edward and Bella pairing!_

_Please review, if you so desire. _

_Oh, and if anyone finds a spot where I used "EDWARD" instead of "REHUER"--other than the vision of the meadow, of course--please let me know! I've read through this thing four times now, and each time i found one Edward I didn't mean to type! I'm pretty sure i got them all, but yeah...if you find any..._


	2. Bloody Tears, Strange Emotions!

_Disclaimer: All twilight stuff belongs to Stephanie Meyer, a genius! May she continue to write and make me insanely happy..._

_Author: I got the idea for this story while watching THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, oddly enough. Then my Architecture History class started studying pyramids, and before you know it I have an itch to write! Do enjoy..._

* * *

**A Dhampyr Named Bella**

**Chapter 2: Bloody Tears, Strange Emotions**

* * *

_1972 BCE_

_Twelfth Dynasty_

_Lower Egypt_

_Rocky Ravine_

* * *

In his current situation, Rehuer considered it a gift that he could stand motionless for hours on end without succumbing to _sheer_ boredom. He himself had observed that humans couldn't seem to sit still.

He couldn't imagine why moving held such appeal to them.

As an immortal with _unlimited_ intelligence, Rehuer knew the extent of his own physical potential down to the last muscle movement precisely. At the same time, his mind could calculate the right amount of energy to put out for what he required. So, wasting anymore of his energy to pace around the ravine—merely to have something to do—would have been pointless. He remained standing as still as the silent stones around him.

Watching. _Waiting_.

He hadn't taken his gaze off the limp form of the immortal child since he'd dropped her there.

So far her little twisted body hadn't moved for over 5 hours. Rehuer hadn't yet begun to give up on her, though. He noted the shadows the boulders cast pass across the hot sand as the hours continued to go by, but he was content to wait the full day as planned.

After all, what was 24 hours in comparison to eternity before him?

Eternity without ever tasting her again seemed a harder burden to bare than just giving up.

While he observed her carefully for any signs of change, another part of his mind had begun to think of other options he could pursue—that is, should he decide 24 hours was _much_ too soon to just leave her corpse to rot in this valley.

He wondered if his master knew of a way to bring her soul back. His master was an eclectic individual, always lusting after new knowledge and exotic specimens. If anyone in the world knew of a way, _he_ would. And the Egyptian culture itself was riddled with numerous magicians and seers who claimed to have the god's ears when it came to the soul of the humans body!

_Perhaps there was an elixir, or a spell in one of the cultures to the southeast…_

As of yet, Rehuer hadn't wanted to leave Egypt, and the comforts it readily gave him. But he'd heard of the tantalizing cultures to the south and east. And even rumors of growing civilizations to the north.

He thought of the taste of her blood, and his mouth pooled with cool venom. He began to think it was all the motivation he needed to finally make the trip. _Should_ she not revive, of course. He could take her somewhere out there, and see if such magic existed beyond the sands.

A rock tumbled down from the right side of the ravine, interrupting his thoughts.

Rehuer's eyes snapped to the rock as it rolled to a stop, his pursed lips narrowing. He searched for another sign of life in his mind, but heard nothing. Where once that would have been enough to reassure him, now he wasn't so sure. His faith in his gift had been shaken.

More sounds of shuffling feet near the top of the ridge drifted to his ears. Whoever it was, they were not hiding their presence.

Rehuer stepped back into the shadows of the large boulder, waiting for whatever it was to come forth. His tongue shot out to taste the air. He relaxed when he recognized the foul smell for animal blood alone.

The large dog, who had run from Rehuer's growl earlier, peered out from behind his hiding spot amongst the lower rocks. The dog could smell Rehuer, even though he couldn't see Rehuer directly. The cur turned his head to look at the dark shadows that concealed Rehuer, it's eyes glowing and another low growl escaping it's throat.

Rehuer didn't feel bothered enough to care about the cur's threat. The girl's blood filling his system had calmed his mood like a drug. He frowned at the passive feeling he now carried in his personality, not sure how he should feel about it. He made a note to study the effect to more degree later, if fate permitted him.

The dog, seeing that Rehuer wasn't going to be bothered to attack, turned his snout towards the lifeless body of the girl. A low whine escaped its muzzle, his tale tucking between his legs. The dog leapt down from the low rocks, his paws lightly hitting the sand.

Rehuer watched from his hiding spot, frowning at the dog's display toward her.

It made its way to the girl's body, dropping down on its belly when it was a few feet away. It slinked through the sand like it was begging for her attention, unintelligible whines of concern and pleading coming from its muzzle.

When it was close enough, the dog tentatively licked the back of her prone hand, and when she didn't react, continued forward until he was licking at the blood staining her neck and collarbone. When she was clean, the dog nuzzled his furry head against her chest, pawing at her as if to wake her.

In the warm sand, the middle finger of the girl's hand _twitched_.

Rehuer's attention latched on to the movement, his lips drawing in a relieved breath. **Yes!**

The dog seemed to sense the reaction of life from her too. His tail thumped against the ground in happiness, his whines becoming yips. His long tongue slobbered over her still lifeless face.

All the fingers on her hand flexed together, before she lifted the same arm to drape it around the dog's neck carefully.

The immortal child's head snapped upward faster than a viper, attaching around the jugular of the helpless, foolish dog.

The dog only let out one last whine before he was _silenced_.

She arched her neck to get around to the thick vein, cutting through fur and flesh with one bite. Rehuer could smell the dog's blood drip for drip as it slid past her lips in a desperate rhythm. She wrapped stone-like legs and arms around the dog's body, dragging him against her in a deadly embrace.

The dog's snapping spine reverberated about gorge, bouncing back to repeat its deadly sound over and over _and over…_

The dog died instantly, perhaps before he could even understand the betrayal of his immortal friend.

Rehuer observed the immortal child drinking herself back to life, relief and utter _triumph_ at that fact making him feel like laughing!

**She was now his. _His_. HIS!**

The girl lay on her back for several moments, her lips suckling at the dog's throat tenderly and cleanly. Rehuer actually had to admire her; she didn't spill a drop the entire time, even if it was disgusting animal blood.

When she was finished, she rolled the dog's body off her to the side. Her lips left the jugular, her now intensely golden eyes opening once again. They were shining with animalistic awareness as her tongue came out to moisten her lips. She sat up like a puppet who's strings had suddenly been jerked into action, staring around the ravine with a satisfied smile on her face.

That smile, after a moment, began to dim as she came back down from her feeding high. Slowly, as if she was confused as to where she was, she looked down at the broken body of the dog brushing against her knees.

Her lips parted as she sucked in a shocked breath. Her mouth opened and closed, as if she didn't know what sound to make to express her feelings. Her hand slowly reached out to touch the bloodied fur around the dog's neck, caressing the tips before digging her little grimy fingers into the thick fur.

Her pained expression was one of pure regret and sorrow for what she'd done.

Rehuer let loose the booming laugh he'd been holding in.

Her surprised gaze shot to his position, her eyes widening in fright when he moved out of the shadows and into the sunlight.

He ambled his way toward her, arms falling to his sides as he grinned at her. "See, you're no different than me, little one. At the end of the day, we're _all_ cold-hearted killers."

Her features twisted into a grimace of hate at him, before she was on her feet and running for the opening of the ravine.

Rehuer's humor fled the second she did. "_Oh, I don't think so_!" No one ran from him!

He had his fist tangled in her _disgusting_ hair before she could even get to the ravine entrance. She made a noise of pain as he yanked her back, her heels skidding in the sand. She twisted around, pounding her little fists against him while mewling like an enraged kitten.

Even though her blows had little crippling affect, they were delivered with _enough_ determination to have Rehuer hissing a little at the impact. "Stop it this instant!" He ordered her, releasing her hair to cuff her flailing wrists in his grip instead.

He lifted his hands out high so she was stretched out in the air in front of him, far enough away that her hanging legs couldn't kick him. _Which she was trying to do!_

His eyes flashing his displeasure, he turned and idly flung her against the large boulder with enough force that it cracked on impact. She tumbled to the ground, momentarily stunned, but unharmed.

He watched her get to her feet steadily, facing him with a body braced to defend herself. Her frightened eyes flitted around her, looking for another way out. But Rehuer now blocked the only exit to the gorge. And her little legs would not be able to vault over the 30 foot rock wall behind her like Rehuer could.

She looked back to him, and he could see the realization in her eyes that _he_ had her _trapped_.

Rehuer spread his arms wide to block her movement should she try to slip past him, taking a step toward her.

She flinched, pressing back into the flat rock surface as if she wanted to disappear into it.

_Foolish_, he thought, sneering. _He had her cornered and there was no way she was getting out of it_!

The immortal child's lip began to pucker and tremble. She lifted her arm to press her wrist against her mouth, her little teeth biting the flesh in fright. Her golden eyes were wide as moisture began to pool in the corners.

Rehuer paused, gaping as red tears began to slide down her cheeks.

_She was…crying?_

Immortal's did not cry. They _could not_ show emotion. Instead it was a sign of the mortal's weakness that _they_ shed tears.

Rehuer's brows drew in as he observed the strange phenomenon before him, feeling not only curiosity but envy as well. How many times in the last 20 years had he wished his emotions could be expressed? At times, in private moments he later came to regret happened, his soul had been so encumbered by grief he'd _longed_ for an outlet. _How he'd wished he could have wept…_

Her tears became a torrent as her trembling increased. The little immortal pressed her palms to her eyes, hiding from Rehuer in the only way she knew how.

_As if by not looking at him he did not exist!_

She sat down in the dirt, pressing her back against the rock face. She drew her knees up and pressed her covered face into them, making herself as small as possible.

Rehuer didn't like not seeing her face. The analyst in him wanted to catalogue every tear like each was a precious sign from the gods! He zoomed to her side by sheer thought, bending down.

She cringed from his outstretched hands, and her shaking increased ten-fold as his fingers brushed at her skin.

Rehuer was surprised at the feeling of regret that coursed through him. He'd _liked_ it when she'd enjoyed his touch earlier, and had trusted him in return. _But now…_

Muttering an oath in frustration, he tried to find a way to pry the girl's head from the tangle of limbs and arms. She held on tenaciously in her fear. He was surprised to find he _could not _loosen her grip without seriously hurting her.

And that was something he was not prepared to do. He was _determined_ to keep her alive by taking better care of her well-being. After all, he wanted more of her blood, and soon!

Sighing, Rehuer ended his unfruitful battle with her. He ran his hand down his face as he thought about what to do. It would be hard to get her to go anywhere with him out of the valley like this, unless he carried her. And if she started kicking and hitting like she had, that would make it all the more troublesome and pointless for him. It would be preferable to just have her follow him willingly.

Rehuer grimaced. He knew that in order to have _that_ he'd have to convince this little **imp** that he wasn't going to hurt her again!

He'd have to lie, and lie well.

Rehuer cleared his throat, and then sat back on his heels. He rested his arms atop his legs, relaxing his stance and placing a friendly smile on his face. It was one he'd cultivated to wear around the people at celebrations, and when he wasn't going to be feeding on them in particular. He and his master had to keep up appearances, after all.

"There's no need to act like this, little one," He cooed, changing his voice pattern so it was calm and seductive.

She didn't react.

Trying not to frown, he continued with, "I didn't kill you, did I? You're still alive, aren't you. And as for where I bit you, _look_, you won't even have a scar! It's healed." Rehuer reached out and stroked her kneecap with his index finger, making calming circle motions. "I'm betting you don't even feel weak, do you? The dog's blood filled you, making you feel complete."

Rehuer pulled back again, getting more comfortable as he got into the spirit of the conversation. He even began to feel like he wasn't acting falsely. "The first time is always the strangest." He chuckled. "Mind you, on my first feeding I did _not_ eat a mangy dog! I took down a village. And I wasn't nearly as clean about it as you. I slaughtered them in a spray of blood and gore. The Nile ran thick with the blood when I went to wash myself off. My master scolded me for dining like an animal."

Rehuer realized he was smiling at the memory, staring down at the glowing sand. He shifted his gaze back to the little girl, and saw that she was peeking out at him with one cautious eye. Realizing talking to her was having more of an affect than anything, he continued speaking but more earnestly.

"As I was saying, the first time is the strangest. Your throat burns like a fire is _raging_ inside it, and only one thing will quench it. **Blood**. You _instinctively_ know it will heal you. So you hunt it, like lightning, finding the quickest route to it as possible. It's over in what seems like seconds; although in reality it may take several hours, or days, to quench the fire in your throat. And when you finish…"

Rehuer trailed off, remembering. "And when you finish, you realize that it _is_ all not a dream; a horrid, frightening dream…

You realize it's all very, _very _real…

You're going to be this way for the _rest_ of your life. And you come to discover that that life is _forever_…

An _eternity _of scorching thirst. What else can you do _but_ accept it?"

Rehuer realized his voice had lost its seductive quality, becoming bitter and remorseful. He shut his mouth, swallowing back the strange feelings that had come to light. It was stupid to recall his regrets! What good did this thinking of the past do for him now?

Well, for one thing, it did bring the girl out of her ball of fear. She'd lifted her head to watch him as he'd talked, her eyes wide and still not quite trusting. Tears still continued to course down her cheeks, but it least her hysterical whimpering had ceased!

Rehuer studied the drops of moisture, seeing how they left dirty streaks in the dirt covering her face. Seeing more brewing in the corners of her glossy eyes, he felt a pang of an unknown emotion course through him. Whatever it was, it made him want to _wound_ himself for making her cry. It was an uncomfortable feeling, one that he did not like all that much.

"There's no need to cry so," he murmured quietly, the words falling from his lips before he could process them.

She stared blankly at him, her brows drawing in over her confused, watery eyes.

And he realized. _She could not understand what he was saying at all!_

_Of course not_, he scoffed to himself. The villagers had disposed of her as a baby, and she'd lived in complete isolation from human civilization since then. No one had taught her how to speak. For all he knew, her only companion could have been that dog she'd digested!

It would make it all the more harder for him to convince her to trust him now.

A chagrined smile spread across his face. "How confusing I must be making this for you," he said to her, lifting his hand from her knee to stroke her hair. Her gaze flickered between his face and his hand with distrust, but she didn't try to stop him.

He considered it _progress_.

Rehuer grinned a moment at his plan working, then quieted his features as she began to tense up. "I said there is _no need to cry_!" he repeated, a little sternly. He used the back of his knuckles to wipe the streaks of red blood from her cheeks.

She made a face at being pawed at, unclenching her wrists to shove his hand away in anger.

He allowed her to, only because he wanted her to think she had _any_ free will in the matter. "Alright, no touching," He agreed, holding his palms out flat to either side of them and wiggling them for emphasis.

Her brows puckered in thought at his acceptance of her request. He could see the wheels turning around in her no doubt unfilled mind, as she tried to reconcile his past actions with his present ones. _Could she trust him?_

Rehuer wanted her to. _Badly_.

His hasty feeding had been a foolish action. He should have thought before acting, and then perhaps their relationship as prey and predator would not be so _crippled _as it was now.

Rehuer knew it would take time to get his new pet to trust him again, enough so that she would _willingly_ offer her column-like neck to his mouth. And all the blood it contained…

Sighing, Rehuer got to his feet again. He began to pace in front of the little child, wondering what was the surest course of action to take if he was to accomplish his task. He looked down at her as he moved, taking in how she continued to clutch at her dirty-streaked legs as she watched him warily.

He came to an abrupt halt as the epiphany hit him. First order of business: Clothe the damn vixen!

Feeling more buoyed now that he had a plan, Rehuer slid his priestly robes from his shoulders, setting it aside on a nearby rock. The little girl frowned at him as he gripped his outer tunic, pulling it up and over his head. The sun hit his exposed chest, casting a blinding aura of light to bounce around the ravine.

Rehuer winced. He _hated_ exposing himself to the sun like this, it was so demeaning!

He felt a gentle touch, warmer than the sun's light, stroke his abdomen. Looking down with a glare, he saw that the little girl had moved of her own violation to stand in front of him. Her eyes were wide with awe as she gazed at the glittering colors before her. Her little index finger poked at the granite-like facets in his muscles, her nail lightly gliding over his pectorals.

Rehuer raised a brow at her bravado, since a moment ago she'd been absolutely petrified of him. He allowed her to continue her explorations, ignoring her administrations as if he didn't care how it felt.

It _felt_ damn well pleasing!

He slowly got to his knees before her, holding his tunic out to her. "**Here**," He grumbled, thrusting the bunched garment against her chest. "Slip this on."

She pulled her hand back from his chest to grab at the material he pushed at her. She looked down at the white cloth, a puzzled frown on her features. She lifted the tunic to her nose and sniffed it. She apparently liked what she smelled, for she inhaled deeply a second time. Her little golden eyes suddenly snapped up to Rehuer's, and they twinkled with some new thought.

She leaned forward until her nose was pressed to his chest, catching him off guard. He looked down at her head in consternation as she inhaled deeply _again_.

The little child made a noise in her throat, of understanding. She pulled away from him, now clutching the tunic tightly to herself. Rehuer caught her smile again, before she hid it beneath the bunched cloth in her fist. As if she thought her smile would set him off again…

It probably would, he had to admit to himself. It was good she hid her manipulative smile, as it would give him less cause to kill her for it. Now, he needed to get her to wear the damn material!

Seeing as she was just standing there without complying, Rehuer snatched the tunic back from her grasp. She made a frantic mewling noise, trying to reach for her beloved tunic again. Rehuer took one of her little wrist in his strong grasp, her hand fitting comfortably in the nest of his palm. "Hold still!" he growled, which effectively froze her long enough for him to slide the tunic down one of her arms.

She stopped struggling when she registered he wasn't hurting her, and instead watched wide-eyed as he slid the gentle material all the way up her arm. Rehuer dropped her arm when it was fully clothed, and took up the other.

"See?" He murmured, "I promised I wouldn't hurt you again, didn't I? This is nice, isn't it?"

_It had better be_, he thought darkly. _It was the finest material in all of Egypt._ A poor mortal would have to work their whole lives in order to afford such a tunic. And here he was, giving his up so this little whelp of an immortal would start to trust him!

Once her arms were fully encased, he grasped the opening bunched beneath her chin and drew it over her head. "Now, you had better look a tad presentable," he warned, helping her to shimmy the garment down her sides. His tunic was large, it pooled at her feet.

She made a face at the strange item she now wore. The girl took a step back, and promptly tripped on the loose material. She fell sprawling back onto her elbows, all tangled in limbs and his shirt.

A strange emotion awoke inside of him. It was light, and heart-felt. Before he could even stop himself, Rehuer chuckled. _She looked so funny, staring about herself in consternation!_

She ducked her head into her arms as he laughed at her, blushing heavily.

Rehuer stopped chuckling. The smell of her blood brought the monster raging back to the surface! Rehuer put a clamp on its muzzle inside his mind before it got out of control.

He clenched his left fist so hard his muscles strained. With his right, he reached down and pulled her up to her feet again by the loose collar of her shirt. While continuing to kneel, Rehuer carefully ripped the extra material along the bottom of her feet so she could move her feet easier. The little girl busied herself by randomly poking at his sparkling muscles in his shoulders, or by running her little fingers through his bronze hair.

He had to admit he liked that treatment very much, as it reminded him of…

Rehuer jerked the thought from his mind before it could finish, refusing to remember his life before becoming an immortal. It didn't matter anymore. _She_ was dead.

He sat back to inspect his work, analyzing how his tunic looked on his new pet. He had to admit it was an improvement, although her dirty skin poking out from the edges was anything _but_ pleasing. He frowned, putting it on his list to have her _bathed_ the minute they got back to his estate.

The little girl lifted each arm high, inspecting the tunic critically. She wrinkled her nose as she flapped her arms, clearly not sure she approved.

"You'll get used to it," He assured her, reaching out to pat her head.

She tensed at his touch, bringing her full attention to him. She watched him like a gazelle would a pack of lions sleeping around its meadow. She was waiting for him to strike, for danger to awaken in him…

_Not yet_, he thought darkly to himself. _She doesn't trust you yet_.

There was _one_ last thing he needed to do.

Rehuer took his hand from her head, settling it against his own chest. "Rehuer," he said sternly, factually.

She blinked, her eyes flitting between his chest and his eyes.

He knew she didn't understand. But he was also prepared to use every ounce of his patience in order to get her to understand this one concept. He took her hand again in his, pressing it to the same place he'd put his hand. "_Rehuer_," he repeated, giving her his name. _Willing her to understand!_

She bit her lip hard, focusing on his hand in hers. She used both her hands to pull his big one against the soft tunic now covering her front, mimicking him. "Re…_re_…her?" She stuttered tentatively. She clearly thought the word representated the action, not the meaning.

Rehuer held back his growl of frustration, and only allowed his exasperation to show. "**NO**," he said harshly. He tugged his clasped hand back to himself, tapping it forcefully. "Rehuer!"

Getting an idea, he put his fist against her. "Girl!" He tapped his own chest. "Rehuer!"

He repeated the process again and again, his **tapping** getting more aggressive as his tone grew louder.

"Girl!"

"Rehuer!"

"Girl!"

"**REHUER!**"

She trembled on the last one because it was so loud, letting go of him to bite her wrist again in fright.

Rehuer wanted to kick himself, closing his eyes, as he tried to cool his temper. This wouldn't work if he couldn't learn some patience!

After a moment, he suddenly felt her little hand tap his chest on its own.

Her voice was a mere whisper as she spoke. "Ra-her…"

Rehuer opened his eyes, his brows raised high. He leaned forward and tapped her chest, not saying anything.

She answered his non-verbal question. "Glllll…" She fluttered the word, then giggled because of how it felt on her tongue.

Grinning, Rehuer pointed to himself.

"Ra-her!" She giggled, smiling because he _seemed_ pleased at her success—finally!

He was. _Very_ pleased. Even though she'd butchered the pronunciations, it was a start.

She was clothed. She knew his name, and now her own for the time being. And she seemed to be alright with him touching her now. _Perhaps she would follow now…_

Rehuer got to his feet, going over to his priestly robes laid on the rock. He drew it over his arms, fluffing it so it sat about him correctly before tying it as tight as he could over his chest. Looking over, he saw the little girl frown at his covering up the sparkles from her view.

He rolled his eyes, turning to face her. "Girl," he barked, noticing how she snapped to attention. _So, she did indeed know her name_. "Come here." He spread his palm out flat in the air, and wiggled his fingers.

She cocked her head, bemused and entertained by his action.

Muttering a curse, Rehuer stepped forward and grabbed her sleeve. He pulled her five feet forward in the sand so she was standing in front of him. As she glared while rubbing her arm where he'd pulled, Rehuer moved back another 10 feet and made the same motioning signal. "Come here!" he growled, pointing at the spot in front of him.

She pouted, but took a step forward. In a blur, she stood before him as asked.

He grinned down at her. _He was pleased she was smart! She didn't have to be taught twice. What a perfect little pet she would make him!_ Rehuer placed his hand on her neck, stroking the skin there as a reward. "Good girl," he purred, making sure she nuzzled into his touch before pulling away.

He continued walking backward, motioning her to follow as he did. She kept moving forward, clearly confused as to why he wasn't stopping but willing to go along. Eventually, Rehuer made it all the way to the ravine entrance, and she was still blindly coming. Pleased, he turned his back to her and continued walking.

Her feet stopped their shuffling in the sand.

Annoyed at his experiment not working, he twisted around and sought her out.

She stood at the ravine entrance, looking back behind her with a pained expression.

Rehuer took a giant step toward her, his voice giving clear warning. "I said _come_!"

She shot him a glare, then flitted further back into the ravine, reappearing at the dead dog's body. She knelt, burying her face in his bloody fur that had begun to attract flies.

Rehuer gritted his teeth, the last of his patience about to wear out. He strode carefully over to the dead dog, stopping on the other side of it from her. "Girl," he growled, "The _mutt_ is dead. _You_ killed it. There is nothing left in this valley for you!"

She tilted her head to look at him with one golden eye. It leaked with unshed bloody tears.

Rehuer swallowed the unknown emotion, not letting it shake his voice of his final conviction. "I'll not ask you again, girl." He raised his hand, his voice deadly and devoid of mercy. "Come!"

He knew she didn't understand his words of logic, but she did understand the warning in his tone, and what he wanted. Slowly, the little girl peeled herself away from the dog, getting to her feet. She wiped the tears from her own cheeks, staining the white tunic with bloody smears.

She turned away from the dog, and suddenly pressed her face to Rehuer's legs, wrapping her arms around one of them tightly.

_Of all the asinine things the gods could curse me with_, he thought darkly, _it had to be a clutchy kid!_ He shook her off him, nearly toppling her into the sand. "Let's go, girl," he hissed in annoyance, turning to walk out of the ravine entrance again.

This time-reluctantly-she followed.

Rehuer allowed his sadistic grin to glow on his face, now that she couldn't see.

**He'd won!**

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_**bnthridiot: **Well, I can't say I'm overly happy with my writing of this chapter. I feel like I pieced it together, and maybe its partly how its not as sadistic as the first chapter. The next one will definitely be more fun in that regard...we meet the master, who is Aro...and Bella and Rehuer establish an understanding with each other, one she doesn't really get right now. Eventually, we will have Bella's point of view, but not for a bit._

_Thank you to all the reviewers so far! And thanks for bugging me to write, it really helps!_


	3. Learning of Home

**Disclaimer:** _Stephanie Meyer inspired this. As did, I must admit, a little bit of inspiration from Sara Douglas. Another talented author. I really enjoyed her egyptian tale, describing a pool of green glass._

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**_Learning of Home_**

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She couldn't believe it. The world was so much bigger than she'd ever imagined!

She stared around herself in awe, her head twisting so quickly in every which direction her face was almost a blur. To her right, mountains of rolling golden, smallish rocks changed their shapes as the great invisible-breath blew them to and fro. It reminded her of a snake she'd seen in the valley, its body coiling up to strike at her as she'd poked at it.

Only more beautiful. And mysterious!

And to her left, another snake-like shape ran through the golden mounds, only it was murky green-blue, with green spikes growing everywhere. She breathed in, liking the new smell. It was moist, and it called to her to come play in its decomposing smell.

But she knew she couldn't. _Rehuer_ wouldn't allow her.

She stole a glance to the big cold-one walking next to her, and her cheeks grew warm when she met his steady gaze.

He was still watching her, and she hadn't yet caught him looking at the interesting things like she was. She realized that he must know what those things were, and was not afraid of them. Which made her wonder why she'd never tried to leave her little walls of rock before. It had just never occurred to her why she'd want to explore, or that it was so safe to do so.

Something familiar caught her eye, and her gaze jerked to one of the nearby shapes. It was a lizard! Grinning, she took a step toward where it basked in the great warm orb. She wanted to pick it up and feel it crawl across her arm.

_Rehuer_'s fingers clasped onto her shoulder, tugging her back. He muttered something, which she'd grown used to hearing every time she'd tried to leave his side. She kept forgetting the rule, her curiosity getting the better of her. She pouted, but stayed near him. His intensity frightened her enough, however, that she was too afraid to try running from him for good.

And at the same time, she didn't _want_ to leave him.

She was so confused when it came to her new friend. He wasn't like her 4-legged friend had been. That friendship had been easy, and comfortable. And also tragic. She fought herself from drifting into the guilt she felt over sending her one and only companion she'd ever known into the deep sleep.

Instead, she focused on the new being who'd suddenly appeared in her life.

How strange that there was something other than the dog and the snake and the falcon and the mouse and the tarantula that roamed the valley! It had been shocking to suddenly be seeing another two-legged creature just like herself in reality. And as she'd looked at him, she'd instinctively known…

He was scary. He was overpowering. He _was_ beautiful. He smelt _wonderful_.

She had been surprised by the strange instinct that had awoken in her when she'd first seen him standing in her ravine. It had shouted at her that _she should run, that this cold-one would hurt her_!

But as he'd approached her, she found herself frozen, in amazement. He was unlike anything she'd ever seen before!

He was…perfect. Divine. Like a comforting being from one of her dreams. Only this one was real, and standing before her, gazing at her as if he too couldn't believe what he was seeing.

His skin was white like hers. But no warm-liquid sloshed inside. That had confused her a little, since he still had a distinctive smell. She had also wondered at the strange red color of his eyes. They blazed, drawing her in almost against her will. He wore something strange on his body, and she didn't like how it concealed his skin.

Because it made her wonder if he sparkled in the sun too.

He'd come close to her, closer then was physically comfortable. But still she hadn't moved, wondering why she suddenly felt this intensity coming from him that made her want to draw nearer to him. She'd never felt this closeness with another that looked like her before, and she wanted to experience it. She wanted to know what it would feel like if he reached out and…

And then he'd touched her! Oh, how she had thought she'd die from happiness!

No one had ever held her, or stroked her skin, or smiled at her before. But this being was!

She'd had no idea it would feel so nice to be touched. His touch was so gentle. And he too seemed to enjoy the feel of her fingers as well. The sound he made, a purring hum, made her think of her dog friend when she'd stroked his ears before. It made her feel powerful, in a way.

She'd never felt such closeness, such kinship, even with the dog. It was the first time she'd ever felt giddy enough for the joy of it to bubble from her chest and out her mouth. For the first time in her life, she felt wanted. Needed. And loved.

That haze of first feeling-of being more than alone-had blinded her to the warning signs of danger.

When he'd suddenly come up behind her, tightening his hold around her, she'd merely felt the joy of being held so closely, of the feel of his cold lips trailing up and down her back and neck. She'd closed her eyes in anticipation of his hands holding her face so tenderly.

The feel of his teeth sinking into her neck was a shockingly cold awakening.

Her instincts had kicked in. Desperately she'd fought to break out of his grasp, but to no avail. Because she'd struggled, she now knew that this new being wasn't always gentle. And she also knew she could never hope to fight him off. He was stronger than anything she had ever encountered! Stronger even then the rocks she'd put in her mouth to chew on when her growing teeth were hurting.

She now had discovered her own vulnerability. She didn't like this knowledge. Never before had she been afraid for her own life, her own existence! And it bothered her that she couldn't do anything about it, not even hide from it.

The being had made it perfectly clear. He wanted her to do as he bid, or he could—and would—make her do so.

She scowled at the thought, reaching down as she walked to drag her fingers through the gritty-golden, pulverized hard stuff under her feet. She scooped a handful up, peering at the little facets of color that sparkled in the light in minute detail.

"Sand," _Rehuer_ spoke from behind her, the sound of his steps ending as he paused there next to her.

She tilted her head back to look at up at him, frowning. The scary-beautiful being didn't speak all that often, and when he did it was pretty much complete gibberish to her. She realized that the words he said had direct meaning to the things around her, and to actions. But as of yet, she hadn't figured out more than a couple of the words he'd said to her since they'd started on this journey.

But she had begun to understand his tones. She knew when he was angry, when he was impatient, when he was surprised. Even when he was lying to her, as if she didn't know it or was too stupid to figure it out!

She liked his gentle tone. It didn't come out very often, but when it did, it made her want to be held by him again.

His tone now, as he poked a finger at the pulverized rocks in her hand, was his matter-of-fact voice he used when he wanted to teach her a word. "Sand," he repeated, and this time the tone was more impatient.

_Sand_. She framed the word with her lips, copying his. Then put sound to the shape. "Sa-a-nd."

And was rewarded by a dazzling smile from the being.

Her eyes widened at the sight, and she resisted the urge to grin. She knew she mustn't smile at him. It always made him jumpy or angry. She wondered why, since it made her feel so happy.

He began to walk away again, now that he was confident she'd grasped it on her own. She hurried to catch up with him, knowing he'd get annoyed if she didn't follow. And she didn't want to be left out here, all alone.

The wide open world scared her a little more than he did.

She wondered if there were more beings like him out there. She hoped they were nicer. But then, she panicked, maybe they were meaner! With that thought, she scampered closer to his side again, glancing about the world fearfully. Until she knew, she didn't want to leave this being—_Rehuer_, his word was—until she found out more of what dangers the world had in it.

While she knew she should be wary of angering him, she also knew that she was safe with him. That's why it was all so confusing…

So, she decided to stop worrying about him. He hadn't hurt her again, or sent her into the dark sleep since they'd left. In fact, he'd only done nice things to her since then. Even giving her a present…

She was starting to like the white thing he'd put over her body. It felt nice when it blew in the breeze, and the designs were pretty in it. She also liked looking just like him. They both wore identical white things now, and it made her feel included.

But, she kind of wished she could see him sparkle again. Even if he was shy about it. She had sensed that about his character right away.

She knew he liked her touching him, and he liked being gentle back.

Sometimes. Sometimes he didn't.

And sometimes she made him laugh—she liked that—and he made her want to _giggle_—it was one of the words he'd taught her as they'd walked.

And she knew he could be violent. She remembered him flinging her aside as if she weighed nothing. And in comparison to him, she really didn't. She could feel his strength in the simple squeeze of his hand on hers.

To be fair, it was her fear that caused her the most pain from that experience. Her body was stronger than the rock, so it hadn't hurt. Knowing he was stalking towards her even as she got to her feet had also psychologically hurt her more than his actual hand had.

And to be fair, she had to admit that his drinking from her blood had actually been pleasant. Not the initial pain of his fangs sinking in. But the slow drag on her life force had been instinctively—euphoric. A part of her had liked sharing her life-force with another. It made a sort of connection between them, one she felt now.

_Girl_.

That is what he had called her. The way he explained it to her, it was a unique name, like his _Rehuer_ word. _Girl_. She liked knowing she had a special word too. And that he would use it, and acknowledge her specially.

Girl glanced sideways sneakily, to the flowing white cloth that moved against his legs as he walked beside her. She sheepishly wanted to reach out and fist her hand in it, to find comfort in holding something, since she knew he wouldn't hold her hand. So she tentatively reached out.

Before she could even graze the material with her fingertips, Rehuer sucked in a breath, startling her. He stopped, his eyes closing as he inhaled deeply. "Ahh!" A grin lit his features, and then he was running faster up the sand dune in front of them.

Panic skittered down her spine when she saw him leaving her, out here alone! Girl ran after him, liking the speed and the chase, but the bigger part of her wondered where he was heading so fast, and what was he chasing now? He came to a halt at the top of the dune, and turned when she scampered up to his side. "There you are," he said, eagerly, the excitement in his tone giving her pause.

She gasped as his hands slid under her armpits, and cringed when he scooped her up. He gathered her into his arms, one under her legs so she was cradled in the crook of his elbow. It left his other hand free to point down the side of the dune they stood on. "Look, my pet," he whispered, his lips against her forehead and the edge of her hair. "My home. _Your_ home." He sounded excited.

She didn't understand his words, but she could see where he pointed. She fisted her little hand against his white-thing under his neck for support, and squinted against the orb's light to what he wanted her to see.

There was a group of large stone structures, stone that smelled funny because of the white coating on its surface. She could smell it, even from here. But it reflected the orb's light, making it shine and glow pretty. There were green plants in abundance in small square stone patches around it, ordered in patterns around the stone structures. Girl looked more, seeing the large green-blue snake curved close to the edge of the structure, bringing the wet-decomposing smell strong to her senses. With her immortal eyes she noticed that the green-blue snake was leaking. Small tears ran from it into the green patches of plants, giving life to the _sand_-but-richer dirt.

She whimpered, tucking her head more firmly under his chin and her body closer into his arms. She didn't understand what she was seeing, and it was so different from anything she knew. What did he mean to do, taking her to this mysterious place?

The cold-one, both kind and cruel, who held her gave his head a slight shake to loosen her clutching. She sensed his impatience with her reaction as he peeled her grip against his white-thing away. He used his free hand to take hers and point toward the white structure below them.

"_Home_," he said succinctly. It was his teaching voice.

She knew she had to respond, to let him know she understood the new word, or he would not let her have her hand back. "_Home_," whispered.

She felt the rumble in his chest of his agreement to her understanding, releasing her hand so she could clutch the white thing at his throat in comfort once more. She let him feel pleased, biting her wrist gently as he began to move down the hill with her tucked securely in his arms, toward the _Home_.

She knew the word now, yes. But, she didn't know the meaning. What would _Home_ feel like?

He approached much more slowly than they had come here, the pace almost as slow as a raindrop that clung to the edge of a leaf for long seconds before dropping. It made her anxious that they moved so slow. Did he have to be careful? Was someone watching?

And as they came upon the first patch of growing squares, she saw indeed that there were eyes watching.

Her jaw dropped in awe.

There were other two-legged's! About 50 that she could count. They stood in the inches of murky-wetness that covered the patches, their legs dirty from the wet-sand-dirt up to the knee that they toiled in. Bent over, they pulled plants from the water and threw them into funny smelling plant-things set up on the built paths crisscrossing the growing-patches.

Rehuer took the path leading down the center, his head turning to gaze down at the other two-legged's as they passed. When the others saw him they froze, before hurriedly falling to their knees in the wet water. Mud splattered from their fast movement onto their chests and faces, but they didn't seem to care as they bent their heads to his presence above them.

"Our Lord!" They all chorused, some together and some later than others. Rehuer didn't speak back, but she could feel his body stiffen. She sniffed tentatively to assess his mood, and the one he gave off was…arrogantly pleased.

She studied the other two-legged's as they passed them, and was surprised at what she saw. They were different from her, she realized. These beings had warm-liquid in their veins, but at the same time different from her own. It didn't smell friendly, the same, or inviting.

It smelled yummy. And the yummy made her feel violent.

It appalled her, her reaction. It reminded her too much of the feeling that made her kill her friend. So she turned her attention to the other details that were different. Their skin was darker then hers, the deep cells smelling burned and softer. Many were naked, only a few of the women wearing thin brown things like Girl's white one or simple bindings between their legs. And by how these bodies moved, she could see that they were weaker, even though they were adults and big.

Weaker beings then her! For a moment she felt strong and superior once again.

Before realizing that Rehuer was still definitely stronger then them as well. But still, the new knowledge helped her esteem.

And they seemed afraid of the big-cold one holding her. She could taste their fear as he passed over their bent heads, at how they trembled. And she saw their curious stares as they noticed what he held.

It did frighten her to have all that attention directed towards her. She was suddenly grateful for the being who held her close, fairly sure no one would hurt her as long as he did.

His fingers stroked the length of her bent arm, causing her to shiver. "Welcome to my gardens," he breathed in her ear, his tone teasing. She glanced up momentarily at his face, realizing that power over these weak-beings made him feel more comfortable. She wondered at the being holding her, realizing she had much to learn about him.

Only he could decide to hurt her. She hoped really hard that he wouldn't again.

After several more gardens of two-legged's gawking, they came upon the large white structure. Up close she was able to see the details in the stone better, and to take in the whole place.

The stone was shaped unnaturally, into large 8 pointed shapes that were stacked each on top of the other and placed so close together that not a whiff of desert breath could slide through. The whole structure was twice as tall as Rehuer's height, and the surface of the rock was carved with shapes. Some she recognized, like crude pictures of birds and other creatures. And two-leggeds. And there were strange scratch markings too, but she didn't know what they were about. She noticed they repeated, some of them. And some of the same patterns repeated as well. But she couldn't study them in detail, for Rehuer ignored her twisted head and continued to walk from the sand path up into the stone structure.

Girl bit her wrist harder as the great orb's light was blocked from her skin. The stone created a cool space around them. Protected. It was like a cave, she decided, only more light-filled and welcoming.

There were odd objects scattered everywhere, some on the stone floor and some hanging from the stone-cave top and sides. One object that Rehuer passed without looking at caught her attention immediately. The object itself was gold, she knew its smell, but not the shape its natural form had been shaped into. It was skinny and long, but at the top it was flat and held a thing that moved like it was alive. The orange light flickered, dancing and quivering. As they passed the breeze from Rehuer's movement made it sigh and bend away from them. She felt its heat on her elbow since it was closest.

Something warned her that the pretty-warm light was dangerous. And that she shouldn't touch. So she was glad when he continued, taking her away from its beckoning light.

The very-ordered and unnatural cave continued, getting longer. Rehuer strode through it with confidence, and she wondered if this was his rock-clearing, like hers with the dog had once been. She gazed about at his _Home_ with scared-eagerness.

Rehuer came to a fork in the cave-room, and he turned his heel to the left, where an opening was. It was shrouded in another white-thing like she wore, only not as soft. He simply pushed through it, and the white-ness brushed over her skin pleasantly as they passed under the opening.

The room was darker, but light glittered off of green glass. She knew what glass was, because the booming flash of the weeping sky had once hit the sand near her where she'd lain in the ravine. The sand had hissed and burned. And after it had cooled, she'd touched the hard clear form with spindle limbs and heard the oils on her skin sing against it.

This cavern-room was covered in glass. And in the center was a deep hole, is how she understood it. More of that green glass was in it, but it was covered by more of the wet-murky stuff, but it smelled cleaner somehow. Rehuer's feet stopped at the edge of the hole, quietly staring down at it. He seemed to be contemplating what he saw in the hole.

Girl leaned away from him to peer down at the what had grabbed his attention, curious as to how the booming flash could have made green glass here since the sky was blocked by a cave roof.

Without warning, Rehuer shoved her out into the air.

She had not been expecting it. With shock she fell into the hole. But with her immortal senses she felt every fraction of that small amount of time it took to leave his arms in vivid detail.

She saw the room of glass blur as she fell. She saw the wet-murky surface as a smooth plane made up of little rain droplets—but that was before her left side of her body touched it. It was not solid, this wet-murky thing. It gave way to her weight, swallowing her body as it slipped in all the way. Her eyes were open as everything blurred. Her ears became plugged with the wet-murk, and it made everything sound deep and pressured.

She sunk all the way to the bottom of the pool, her back finally hitting the glass bottom. Still in shock, and not understanding, she stayed there, looking up to where she had come from.

She could see his white shape staring down at her from the edge of the hole. His form danced and wiggled, like the heat they had passed.

She opened her mouth, screaming his name. "Reher!" His name was a bubble, nothing more.

Air did not fill her mouth. The wet-murky thing did. It seeped in, choking her. She gagged in surprise, trying to find the comforting air to breathe and speak, but the wetness wouldn't allow it.

She began to cry, and the red tears mixed with the wet-murk and floated up like smoke. She tried to follow, but it seemed like her body weight only wanted to sink down, only down! More bubbles escaped her mouth as she wordlessly cried. She flipped onto her stomach and using her hands she pulled at the little edges in the glass. Doing that she was able to move quite easily along the floor to the where it sloped back up toward the surface. She tried to pull herself up the flat-wall too, but the little edges of glass didn't give her enough grip to pull her weight up.

With a growing feeling of helplessness, she looked up to the surface again, pushing her moving hair out of her eyes. She looked into his face, staring just down above her, and mouthed his name again.

She was pleading. He wouldn't leave her here, would he? Here in this quiet, unmoving, suffocating world? It was worse than the deep-sleep. It least in that she wasn't conscious.

His form shimmered, his face too. When it fixed itself, she saw he was grinning. So very, very pleased. And then...he was gone.

Her heart galloped in panic. Girl clawed anew, desperate to get out. Her mouth called his name over and over and over, the bubbles rising to the surface.

When it hurt too much to try to speak, when so much water filled her lungs it felt like a stone in her gut, she wordlessly sank back down onto her back again. She curled against the glass wall, bringing her wrist to her mouth. This time she sunk her teeth all the way into the skin, puncturing the vein. The pain felt good, the blood curling around her in the water. She suckled at her wrist, letting her fear and hatred for the being named Rehuer consume her.

_Please come back_, she begged him in her mind. _I hate you. Don't leave me here_.

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_**bnthridiot:**_ I know, i suck at being an author. But I have the whole summer ahead of me, to read, to sleep to my hearts content, and to write. I've been brewing all my stories in the back of my head all year. And now I feel like I have the urge to let off some steam in my skull.

Do you sufficiently hate Rehuer as well? Good. i felt it was a little early for him to suddenly drop his evil tendencies. We'll hear his reasoning for being so cruel to her in the next chapter.


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